Regulator for electric generators.



W. A. TURBAYNE.

REGULATOR FOR ELECTRIC GENERATORS,

APPLICATION FILED MAY 13. i914.

1,251,708. Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1- LITE? 'WJA. T UBBAYNE. REGULATOR FOR ELECTRIC GENERATORS. APPLICATION HL'EB mwlsflsu.

1,251,708.- Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

2 SHEET$-SHEET 2- UNITED sTAT-Es PATENT OFFICE.

' wILLIAm A. TURBAYNE, or NI GARA FA LS, NEW YORK, 'ASsIeNon, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To U. S. LIGHT & HEAT conron TIoN, or NIAGARA FALLS, NEW

YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

REGULATOR FOR ELECTRIC GENERATORS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I WILLIAM A. TUR- BAYNE, a citizen of the llnited States, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Regulators for Electric Generators, of which the 7 following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to regulators for electric generators.

The invention is especially applicable to variable speed battery charging generators, such as are em loyed in railway car lighting and automobi e starting and lighting systems, although the invention is not l mited to such use andmay be employed under other conditions and in other relations.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved regulator for a variable speed generator, which will automatically be brought into action under definite predetermmed electrical conditions, and which will thereafter maintain close generator regulation over wide ranges of speed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a voltage regulator for a generator, in

which a controlling coil for the regulator isv connected in the generator shunt field circuit and is automaticall brought into action under'predetermine conditions to control the generator regulation.-

Another object is to provide an improved regulator which is inoperativeuntil-a predetermined generator output has beenreached. v

Certain of the broad features herein described have been described and claimed in a. co-pen'ding a plication, Serial No. 733,037, filed by me oveInber 23, 1912. p Three embodiments of the invention are 'illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichp Fi rel isa diagram of one system emplaying the invention for securing constant voltage regulation;

g Fig 'i is a fra Figs. 2 and 3 represent diagrammatically modified systems, and I entary detail of the cores andarmatures o the regulating magnet.

In Fi 1' a variable speed generator is provid with an armature 1 and a shunt Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May 18, 1914. Serial 1T0. 838,231.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

field 2 controlled by a regulator 3. A battery 5 and lamps, or other translating devices 6, are connected in parallel branches across the generator leads 7 and 8. An automatic switch 4:, of any preferred type, connects the generator to the battery and V lamps when'the generator attains agproper voltage.

The regulator 3 includes a compressible rheostat 9 in shunt to the generator field and a compressible rheostat 10 in series with the field and rheostat 9. These rheostats are preferably arranged endto, end in aline-.

ment. An electromagnetic windin 12 in series with the field winding 2 and r eostats 9 and 10. is adapted under predetermined electrical conditions, hereinafter described, to control the rheostats 9 and 10 by means of an armature 14 on a bell crank lever 15, having an operatin arm arranged between the adjacent ends 0 the rheostats 9 and 10.

The bell crank lever; is normally held in pos1t-1on to exert a maximum pressure onrheo stat 10 and a minimum pressure on rheostat 9 by means of a spring 16, adjustableby a- I wing nut 17. A dash 0t 22 steadies the action of the bell crank ever.

The regulator is so constructed that its controlling winding is incapable of operating the rheostats as long as current below a predetermined value is flowing through the magnet winding. This provision is made in order that the regulator may not operate to insert resistance in the generator field while the generator speed is low, and thus prevent the generator from building up quickly. This result is obtained by constructmg the regulating magnet in substantially horseshoe-form with parallel cores 11 and armatures 13 and 14 cofiperatin with opposite ends of the cores. The re uctance of the magnetic circuit of this magnet is so great that at ordinary values of current through the winding 12, thearmature 14 is beyond the magnetic field of the magnet and is, therefore, not influenced thereby. The armature 13 is mounted on a lever 18 which is statically balanced. That is, the lever is counter-balanced and supported near its center of mass so that any jar or vibration will effect both ends of the lever to the same extent and will not ,cause the armature to.

swing about its pivot. The armature is nor-"' mally held retracted the cores 11 by means of a spring 19, adjustable as by the wing nut 20, and an adjustable stop 21', de-

' termines the air gap between the armature and the cores. The tension of the spring 19 and the stop 21 are so adjusted that upon a predetermined current in the coil 12, the armature 13 will be attracted to the cores. Attraction of the armature 13 will so reduce the magnetic reluctance of the magnet field that its radiusof action will include the armature 14. Any further increase in current in the magnet winding will attract the armature 14 and thereby operate the regulator.

A switch 23 controls the lamp circuit, and a regulator 24, of any preferred type, may be arranged to maintain constant voltage across the lamps.

The variable resistances have been illustrated. as of the compressible type, wherein a number of electrodes in the form of disks of carbon, or other material, are arranged to vary the resistance of a circuit by varia- .tions in pressure on the electrodes, but it is evident that many other types of variable resistances 'may be employed.

Starting with the generator at rest, the automatic switch will be open, the armatures 13 and 14 will be retracted from the cores 11, and the bell crank lever will be held by the spring 16, so as. to decrease the resistance of rheostat 10 in series with the field to a minimum, and increase the resistance of rheostat 9 in shunt to the field to a maximum. U 'on rotation of the armature the enerator old will rapidly build up and at t e proper voltage the automatic switch will close. When the generator voltage has increased to the predetermined voltage of the system, a sufiicient current will flow through the coils 12 to attract the armature 13, thereby so reducing the reluctance of the magnet that the armature it is brought within its sphere of influence.

Further increase in generator speed will result in attraction of the armature it, thereby decreasing the pressure on the compressible rheostat l0 and proportionately increasing the pressure on the rheostat 9. This will increase the resistance in. series with the field and at the sarnctime divert more current from the field by decreasing the resistance in shunt thereto. The adjustment is preferably such that a practically constant current will be maintained through the coils 1 Latinos mal conditions. Such conditions will be maintained regardless of speed changes of the generator.

Fig. 2 illustrates a similar system in which, however, a current coil 25 is added which acts cumulatively with the coil 12. The efiect of coil 25 is to prevent excessive current in the event that the battery 5 has been discharged to such an extent that its voltage has dropped to a very low value. The coil 25 willbring the re lator into operation on any tendency of ta generator to I supply an excessive amount of current to the system. Otherwise, the operation of the system illustrated in Fig. 2 is the same as that illustrated in Fig. 1.

Obviously the systems illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 will provide a taper charge for the battery.

Fig. 3 illustrates a system in which charging current for the battery will be substantially discontinued at a redetermined voltage across the system. 11 this system the coil. 12 is short-circuited and consequently is ineffective as a re latin coil as long as the battery is below t e re etermined maximum voltage which it is desired to permit on the system. A relay 31 is connected across the main line through conductors 33 and 34, and controls the short'rcuit around the coils 12, b means of cont 35 in conductor 36. oil 30 will thus operate to maintain substantially constant current after a' certain predetermined generator output has been reached, until the voltage has risen to the predetermined voltage which may represent substantially the full charge voltage of the battery. At this pointrelay 31 operates to 0 en the short-circuit around the coils 12. in the regulation and brin the generator volta' e down to a suflicient y low value to practically reduce the charging current to zero.

In each oi the systems illustrated, the re lation of the-generator will be main tamed regardless of speed changes and re gardless oi whether the battery circuit is open or otherwise.

In the systems 2, the generator output will automatically increase to take care of increase in load due to turnin on more lamps, or due to the de mands o the battery, except that in Fig. 2 the current coil 25 will exert a limiting etlect to prevent abnormal overload on the generator.

in the system illustrated Fig. 3, com stant current will be maintained until the predetermined voltage is reached, alter.

oils 12 will now predominate illustrated in Figs. l and" determined electrical conditions have'been obtained. The nerator is, therefore, 'free to rapidly buil up as a simple shunt mawill automatically come into 0 eratlon and willthereafter accurately regu ate the generator throughout varying conditions of speed or load. y

The embodiments of the invention herein described are merely for the purposes of illustration and it is obvious that various changes in the arrangement and construction of parts may be made without departing from the invention which is-defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure a by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

- through sai 1. In combination with a generator provided with'a' shunt field, a variable resistance in circuit with said field, a variable resistance in shunt to said field, common operating means therefor adapted to increase one of said resistances and simultaneously decrease the other in proportion, said operating means being controlled by a coil in series with said first mentioned resistance and being normall insensitive to current flowing coil, and means to render sai operating means sensitive.

2. Incombination with a generator pro-' vided with' a shunt field, a variable resistance in the shunt field circuit, a variable resistance in shunt to said field, a coil in series with said shunt field and said circuit in shunt to said field, means operated b said coil to simultaneously increase sai first mentioned resistance and proportionally mentioned means being normally insensitive decrease said second mentioned' resistance, thereby varying the resistance field circuit and maintainm constant the resistance in series with sai coil, said last to current flowing through said coil, and means to render said means sensitive.

3. In combination, a variable speed shunt wound generator, a circuit in shunt to the generator field, a variable resistance in said circuit, a variable resistance in series with the shunt field and circuit in shunt thereto, an operating coil for said resistances in sewith the said last mentioned variable resistance, said coil being normally inefiec tive to vary said resistance, and means for rendering said coil efiective.

4. In a regulator for a shunt wound generator, a variable resistance in circuit with the shunt field thereof, a variable resistance in shunt to said field, operatingmeanS for said resistances, said operatlng means being commute by a coil in series'with said first of said shuntmentioned resistance assisted by a coil in series with the generator, said operating means being normally unresponsive to variations of current flowin through said coils, and means operated %y a predetermined value of current through said coils to render said operating means responsive.

5. In a system containing a generator having a shunt field winding, a variable resistance through which said field winding .'iS connected across said generator, a variable resistance in shunt to said field winding,

electromagnetic means for operating said variable resistances, said electromagnetic means having a winding connected in series with sald first-mentioned resistance, said electromagnetic means being insensitive to current flowing through its winding, and means to render said electromagnetic means sensitive.

6. In combination with a shunt wound generator, a storage battery and lamps supplied thereby, regulating means for the ene'rator, operating means for said regulatmg means comprising a coil in circuit with and a coil in series said armature being unafiected bguthevariw' tions in current through the win of said electromagnet, and means to "ren er said armature Sensitive to control by said electromagnet in accordance with the current flowing through said winding.

8. A re lator for a s unt woundgenerator inclu ing a variable resistance for com trolling the current through said winding,

control said variable resistance, said electromagnet having a magnetic reluctance wherehg said armature is insensitive to current 0 a nges through said winding, and means to decrease sai magnetic reluctance to render said electromagnet operative to control said armature.

9. A re w an electromagnet having a winding in series -with said resistance, and an armature to' r ator for a shunt wound genes ator inclu ing a variable resistance co'ntrolthe current flowing through said shunt winding, an electromagnet having a winding in series wi 7 armature tor. controlling said resistance but normally unresmsive to variations of current, flowing t 'ugh said: and means ope ted by a predetermmed valueof th said resistance,

across the generatori1 current flowing through said winding to crease the power of said electromagnet to render the armature thereof sensitive to changes of current throu h said winding.

10. A regulator for a shunt wound generator including a variable resistance through which the shunt field windings are connected across said generator, an electro-magnet in series with said resistance having an armature for controlling said .variable resistance, said electro-magnet also including a current coil ada ted to respond to an excess of current om the generator, said armature beingnormally unaffected by the, variations in current of the windings of said electro-magnet, and means to render said armature sensitive to control by said electro-magnet in accordance with current flowin through said windings. r 11. ulatm means for a shunt wound generator inclu ing a variable resistance through which the shunt field is connected an operating coil therefor in series wit said resistance and shunt field, said coil being normally inoperative to vary said resistance, and means responding to a predetermined current flow through said coil for rendering said coil operative to vary said resistance.

12. In combination, a generator provided with a shunt field, a variable resistance through which said shunt fieldis connected across said generator, a variable resistance in shunt to said shunt field, a single operating coil for said variable resistances, said coil connected in series with said firstmentioned resistance and being normally inoperative to, vary said resistances, and

means respondin to a predetermined current fiow throng said 0011 for rendering sald c011 operative to-. vary said reslstances.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto sub-.

- scribed my name in the presence of two witnesses. WILLIAM A. TURBAYNE.

Witnesses:

W. G. Hms'r, J. E. CANNON. 

